2023-09-05 05:00:00
Questions, many questions and, finally, an explanation transmitted by Laurent Flament, the departmental director of the Regional Health Agency, to “South West” this Monday evening September 4: if the ARS asked the mosquito control service of the Department of Charente-Maritime to intervene, Wednesday morning September 6, it is because a fortnight ago, a person carrying an arbovirosis (dengue, chikungunya or Zika) contracted abroad stayed in the district of Saintes station sufficiently…
Questions, many questions and, finally, an explanation transmitted by Laurent Flament, the departmental director of the Regional Health Agency, to “South West” this Monday evening September 4: if the ARS asked the mosquito control service of the Department of Charente-Maritime to intervene, Wednesday morning September 6, it is because a fortnight ago, a person carrying an arbovirosis (dengue, chikungunya or Zika) contracted abroad stayed in Saintes station area long enough to be bitten by a tiger mosquito. The insect would then become a vector of the virus.
Notified late
This is why, this Friday, September 1, beekeepers received this email: “At the request of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a treatment against the “tiger mosquito” Aedes albopictus must be carried out in the town of Saintes on Wednesday, September 6 between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. You are the recipients of this information because you are the owners of hives, declared within a radius of 5 kilometers from the intervention zone. In order to reduce the risks vis-à-vis pollinating fauna, this sanitary treatment will be carried out at night, when the bees are sheltered in the hives. We remind you that the active substance used is deltamethrin (Aqua K-Othrine) at a dose of 1 g/ha. If your hives are located less than 150 meters from the treatment perimeter, it is recommended that they be moved or covered. In this case, we invite you to inform us of their presence to see with you the possible adaptations to guarantee the safety of your herd. »
“I’m not going to do anything; my hives don’t have to be covered”
Among the recipients, Renaud Bouyer, beekeeper in Dompierre-sur-Charente and owner of hives in the valley of the arenas in Saintes. For the beekeeper, this announcement “less than a week before its implementation” represents, in his eyes, “a very undemocratic move to action”, he wrote in a letter addressed to the mosquito control service of Charente. -Maritime. The missive went around many emails to that of the elected opposition Pierre Maudoux. More political, he wonders if Mayor Bruno Drapron was aware. Joined this Monday, September 4, the latter did not respond to our requests, no more than Charlotte Toussaint, assistant to the environment, unavailable.
Renaud Bouyer warns: “I’m not going to do anything; my hives don’t have to be covered,” he says indignantly, also thinking of his colleagues who may discover mosquito control too late. Its facilities are not a priori concerned by the 150 meters since the treatment is planned in the station district.
No informative mail
A resident of Cours Paul-Doumer, informed by a beekeeper, wrote to the newspaper “Sud Ouest”. “We have not received any information on this campaign: neither in your newspaper to which we subscribe, nor by an informative letter in our mailboxes from the town hall. What about this operation, the risks of this spraying on our fruits, vegetables and animals? »
Also president of L’Abeille verte, an association for respectful beekeeping and environmental education in Charente and Charente-Maritime, Renaud Bouyer has been struggling since Friday September 1 to prevent the use of “a powerful insecticide that kills all the insects. I am amazed to be informed so late and again, because I am a beekeeper”, he adds in incomprehension, joined in his indignation by other citizens like Chantal Fernandes, Charlotte Rossi, Monique and Roland Pelissié, as well as two elected officials from the municipal opposition, Renée Benchimol-Lauribe and Didier Martin. This Monday afternoon, September 4, they symbolically met in front of the insect hotel in the Public Garden.
“All insects, other wildlife and humans are affected. What is the health emergency? What is it ? How and by whom was it evaluated? they wonder, fearing that mosquito control will become commonplace, without looking for alternatives. The night from Tuesday to Wednesday will be very hot and residents will probably leave their windows open at this “cool” time of the day. One more absurdity, according to this group formed spontaneously.
According to Laurent Flament, local residents have been duly informed and invited to close their windows while mosquito control is in progress. As for the product itself, “it is an insecticide found on the market”. Precautions, such as cleaning your vegetables, are in order. The director of the ARS adds that around sixty operations of this type have “unfortunately” been carried out in New Aquitaine and that the mosquito control of the tiger mosquito, Wednesday morning September 6, will be the sixth in Charente-Maritime.
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